


The Face of Heaven

by Asshatry



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Artemis - Freeform, Artemis and Apollo, Artemis and Orion, F/M, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Negan (Walking Dead) Swears, Orion, Smut, Sweet Negan (Walking Dead), apollo - Freeform, cleaning dead animals, honestly the smut isn't even that good so don't get your hopes up people, the walking dead - Freeform, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 22:47:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asshatry/pseuds/Asshatry
Summary: Ari and Ollo are twins surviving in the apocalypse when they meet Negan. This fic is written to mirror the myth of Artemis and Orion.





	The Face of Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a fic writting challenge on tumblr and my chosen prompt was Artemis - Goddess of the Hunt & Virginity.
> 
> I sat down today and typed this entire thing out in one go because it’s due soon and I finally got the idea for it. I know this is a bit longer than what I usually put out, but I hope you’ll all give it a chance. 
> 
> And just so there’s isn’t any confusion, Ari is Artemis and Ollo is Apollo. The two are twins in greek mythology, and I bet you can guess who Orion is going to be.

Ari stepped on the gas pedal a bit more and her SUV sped up, bolting through the dark at a speed that would have gotten her pulled over if state patrol still existed. The world went to shit in what felt like a single instant, and she was determined to get to her father’s cabin deep in the woods and make sure he was okay. Her cellphone was laying in the empty seat next to her, dead from trying to make so many phone calls. She hoped her brother got her message: **  
**

**_Going to dad’s cabin. Meet me there. Hurry. -Ari_ **

Ollo was only an hour away, and Ari thought that he might have beaten her to the cabin. Her twin was competitive like that, even in dire instances like these. Ari gripped the wheel and steered the car down a dirt road, knowing she was close, but not close enough. She had been at school when shit hit the fan; she was attending law school when a classmate bit the shoulder of another attendee. All hell broke out, and she fled, knowing better than to stick around and watch the chaos erupt. She was a day’s drive away from Virginia where her father lived, but that was only if she drove at the speed limit.

And Ari wasn’t driving at the speed limit anymore.

Even though her phone had become nothing more than a paperweight, she continued to glance over at it, wishing it would come back to life. She wanted so desperately to know if her father and brother were alright. She remembered back to high school when Ollo was picked on by the other kids. Until he hit a late growth spurt, Ollo had always been a skinny little runt, and although they were the same age, Ari always felt responsible for him, as if she was somehow his big sister. Dad did always say that she came into this world first, though they’d never tell Ollo that. He liked being first.

Without the radio to listen to, she couldn’t help but remember the band practice and the archery lessons that they both signed up for after school. Her brother would challenge her to see who was the better shot, and it became a long lasting competition between the two of them. Then they graduated, and Ari had grinned over at her twin brother as he removed the graduation cap from his dirty blonde hair and threw it up into the air in celebration. They had always followed each other everywhere, but then it was time for them to go their separate ways. Ari would go to law school and Ollow would attend medical. Ari always wondered if Ollo regretted his decision to take a different path than her. It was hard to be competitive in the different fields, but Ollo still tried.

Ollo could be very jealous of his sister, but Ari loved her brother just the same. She could come off cold and distant, but Ollo was her other half. Back in high school, when one of the jocks was teasing her brother, she had shoved him down the stairs on the bleachers. The football player’s arm was completely shattered. He would never get to play for the rest of the season, and Ari would have been expelled if it hadn’t been for her good grades and reputation. Sure the other kids started to tease her about being incestual, but she knew her bond with her brother wasn’t anything like that. They came into the world together—why wouldn’t they protect one another?

Ari took the SUV down a skinny dirt road and pulled up to the cabin. She flipped the lights off and reached over to get the tire iron that she’d been using to fend off the dead creatures, not wanting to be unarmed. Grabbing her bag from the floor of the passenger side that she’d managed to pack hurriedly, she closed the car door quietly and then made her way up to the cabin. The lights were off, but she could see a familiar blue sedan parked on the side of the cabin. Ollo was already here; she had figured so.

She didn’t bother to knock. Instead, she turned the knob and walked into the cabin to find her brother standing in front of a television set; its colorful brightness was the only thing lighting up the dark room. A news program was on, and a reporter was reading from a sheet of paper. The headline at the bottom of the screen said in all capital letters:  **‘THE DEAD ARE ALIVE’**.

Ollo didn’t even turn to greet her. She took a few steps so she was standing next to him and glanced up at his face. He looked scared; she had never seen him so frightened before. She felt the same way, but they didn’t have time to be afraid. They needed to focus. Survival was their main priority now.

“Where’s dad?” Ari asked, looking around the room, expecting to see her father among them.

“Gone,” Ollo answered her. He finally faced her with a grim expression. “He left.”

Ari nodded, and then turned her back away from the television screen and went to grab her bags and head up the stairs to the second floor of the cabin.

“What are you doing?” Ollo asked, following her over to the steps. She could hear the nervousness in his voice. Ari looked down from him over the banister.

“Time to get to work, Ollo,” she said seriously.

Her brother stared at her a few moments and then nodded.

It was time to survive.

* * *

 

It only took a week for them to learn how to handle the roamers. After shooting one with five arrows in the chest, Ari finally aimed for the head and caused the dead thing to drop to the ground. The infection was spread by getting bitten, at least that’s what a news anchor had said. Ollo had been watching the news a lot until it stopped airing, and not shortly after that, the electricity went out. Her father’s cabin had a generator that ran on gas, but Ari and Ollo knew that if they were going to survive, they were going to have to conserve everything.

They barricaded the windows and doors, making their father’s cabin into their own impenetrable fortress. Their father’s former neighbor was gone too, but he had left all of his animals locked up in the barn. Ari continued to tend to the animals and keep them locked up to ensure their safety from the roamers. Sure the occasional moo from one of the cows or the chirping from the chickens would attract some of the dead, but Ari and Ollo cleared them out before there were too many of them scratching at the side of the barn.

They fished at a nearby lake in the morning and hunted for deer at night, using their dad’s big industrial size freezer to store their food. Lucky for them, their father had already had a good storage of meat from his hunting days. The twins took turns going out to collect gas for the generator, checking on the animals and hunting for more food. Once the sun set, they would fashion more arrows and tend to their bows to ensure they were well kept. Ari was grateful that her father had kept their archery supplies. It made surviving easy—and they survived together, for months and months.

Negan was trying to survive too.

It had only been a few months since Lucille died, and he was completely alone. He had been starting to think giving up on life was his best option; his stomach was sore from not having eaten in almost two days and he knew he probably wouldn’t make it through the night. Death sounded like a sweet release.

Until he saw the deer.

Never before had an animal looked so fucking delicious. He was sure at this point he could just sink his teeth into its raw flesh. Reaching for his knife, he slowly started to try and sneak up on the deer, and was actually getting quite close as he inched his way closer in the bushes, when an arrow whizzed by his head, striking the deer in the neck. It fell onto the ground with a loud huff, and Negan’s head flipped around to see a woman step out of the thicket. She didn’t appear to see him, and Negan was taken aback.

She was tall, and she was beautiful. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and she looked clean and well fed. Negan almost stood up to greet her, but hesitated. He watched in amazement as she lifted the deer’s body up onto her shoulders and carried it off as if it was weightless. Negan gawked at her strength and then silently followed her. He hadn’t seen another human for weeks, and he needed help if he was going to continue to survive this hell.

An hour later, the woman led him to a small cabin hidden deep in the woods. He noticed the makeshift fence that looked recently built and the windows that were boarded up. She opened the gate on the fence, stepped up onto the porch and then froze, as if she sensed something. Negan was standing behind a tree and moved behind it just as she turned around to look.

“I know you’re following me,” the woman called out in Negan’s direction. He peeked out from behind the tree to see she was staring right at him with a look of disapproval.

Negan gave a nervous chuckle seeing as he was caught and reached up to run a hand through his hair awkwardly.

“That was a good shot.”

The woman hummed unamused, dropping the deer onto the porch, and then entered the cabin. Negan wasn’t sure if he should follow her or not, but he decided he didn’t really have a choice anymore. Stepping up to head to the house, the woman came back outside with a tool box. She carried it around towards the garage and pulled open the door with one hand. It flew open to reveal a dining room table that was stained with blood and was being used to clean animals. The woman set the toolbox down on the table and then went back to fetch her deer, hoisting it back up onto her shoulders and carrying it over to the long table in the garage.

Negan approached cautiously and his nose scrunched up at the foul scent. The floor was coated in animal blood, and Negan watched as the woman started the process of hammering nails into the deer so it would hang on the table.

“You gonna share?” Negan asked loudly over the sound of hammering, expecting to take her off guard as he had followed her inside the garage without getting permission. Instead, the woman didn’t even flinch as he addressed her.

“I always share,” she said simply, continuing to hammer the nail through the skin. “My brother needs to eat too.”

Negan glanced behind him, expecting to find he was being held at gunpoint or something, but was relieved when he didn’t see anyone else.

“Oh, so your brother lives here too?” he asked, watching as she began to hammer in a second nail. Negan couldn’t help but stare in awe as he watched her. Perhaps his hunger had gotten the best of him and he was hallucinating the entire thing. It didn’t seem real.

She didn’t answer him and continued her work. She didn’t seem fazed a bit that Negan had followed her. After a few long moments of silence, she set the hammer down and looked up at him.

“What’s your name?” she asked, making direct eye contact. Negan shivered as he stared into her beautiful green eyes and then cleared his throat.

“Negan,” he said in a hoarse voice. “What’s yours?” She looked like a fucking goddess.

The woman lifted the table up so it was vertical and the deer’s body hung down. Pushing the table up against the garage wall, she reached over into the toolbox and took out a knife. The woman remained silent for a long time as she cleaned the deer. Negan was starting to wonder if he should leave when she finally spoke.

“Ari.”

“Well, Ari. I’m impressed. You’re a gorgeous gal and you know how to survive in this world. I could probably learn a thing or two from you.”

Ari never answered him and just continued to clean the deer, completely focused on her task. Negan jumped when he heard the gate to the fence swing open. Spinning around fast, he was met with a tall man wearing a brown jacket who had the same dirty blonde hair as Ari. The man looked at Negan and then to Ari who still was focused on the deer.

“Did you make a friend today?” he asked, ignoring Negan and speaking to his sister. He didn’t sound amused.

“I’m Negan.” Negan reached out his hand towards the man and was surprised when he accepted it and shook it firmly.

“Ollo. I’m Ari’s brother.” Ollo nodded at Negan once and then gave his sister a quick glance. He didn’t understand what was happening and why his sister wasn’t answering his question. Sure she liked to focus on one thing at a time, but there was a man standing in their garage—a man that looked malnourished and on death’s doorstep. Ollo figured this was just Ari’s way of avoiding an argument with him. She liked to take in strays. Ollo knew if they really wanted to survive, it had to just be the two of them. 

But Ollo didn’t say this outloud and instead he invited Negan to stay.

“I don’t wanna be a fuckin’ burden on you kids,” Negan was trying to be polite, but he knew he needed their help something bad.

“Nonsense,” Ollo said, turning to head into the cabin while his sister continued to clean the deer. “You can stay as long as you want. We might ask you to help out a bit, if that’s okay.”

“I’d say that’s more than fair.” Negan grinned at Ollo and then followed him towards the cabin. Glancing over his shoulder at Ari to get one last look at her, he was surprised to see she had been watching him leave, but quickly averted her eyes back down to the deer as if pretending she hadn’t been looking at him.

That night, after getting a chance to try some deer meat and finally having a full belly, Negan was preparing for bed on the long couch of the first floor of the cabin. Ollo and Ari’s rooms were on the second floor, and the twins were getting ready to retire for the night. Ari came up behind the couch and placed a hand on Negan’s shoulder, making his skin turn to ice.

“If you try to take anything and run, I’ll hunt you down and skin you just like I skinned that deer.” Her voice was cold, and Negan took a deep breath before answering her.

“That sounds fair,” he deadpanned. He had no intention of robbing these people. He needed their help, and he knew she meant every word. 

Ari seemed content with his answer and went upstairs to her room.

The next morning, Negan woke to the smell of eggs. He sat up and rubbed at his tired eyes and glanced over the couch to see Ollo was standing in front of the stove flipping pancakes. Negan stood up and slowly made his way into the kitchen, watching the blonde haired man cautiously. It hadn’t been a dream after all. These two people existed and they were making the best of it.

“Good morning,” Negan greeted Ollo while sitting down at a small table that was pushed to the side of the kitchen.

“Ari will be back shortly and then we can have some breakfast,” Ollo explained, using the spatula to slide under a sunny-side up egg and set it on a glass plate. “We have to keep collecting supplies. My father’s cabin runs on a generator, and the only way to keep the freezer working is to keep collecting gas.”

“I can help with that,” Negan offered, leaning back in the chair.

“We appreciate that. We never know when we might run out, and we have quite a bit of food stored. There’s a shower upstairs if you’d like, and I set out some clean clothes for you. Ari should be back in about ten minutes.”

Negan had never felt in such high spirits. He thanked Ollo, and then headed up the stairs to the bathroom. He was so grateful to feel water, even if it was cold as hell. A short while later, Negan was wearing fresh clothes—which he guessed had previously belonged to their father. When he returned to the kitchen, Ollo was sitting at the table with three plates of pancakes and eggs set out. Negan sat down and noticed Ari was not back yet. He was just about to inquire about her when the front door opened, and Ari entered the cabin carrying two gas canisters.

“Sorry about that,” she said, setting the canisters down on the floor. Negan smiled the moment he saw her. She was wearing an oil stained, white tank top and dirty brown slacks, but she still looked flawless. “Couple of roamers were at the barn. I took ‘em out.”

Ollo gestured to the food on the table and Ari sat down; the two immediately dug in. Negan watched in fascination as they ate quickly. After staring at the them, he lifted his fork and ate. He groaned in delight as he chewed through the fluffy pancake soaked in sweet syrup. Ari let out a chuckle at hearing Negan make such a dramatic noise, and Negan glanced up in surprise. She smiled a bit, and then glanced over at her brother. Ollo was stone faced, and seeing her brother being so serious seemed to cause Ari to go back to being stoic as well.

“So, Negan,” Ari addressed him suddenly, and Negan wiped at his mouth. “I figured I’d take you out today and show you how to use a bow. If you’d like.” Her voice was light as air, and Negan blinked a few times before processing what she was saying.

“Oh, I appreciate that, but I’ve got a gun.” He gestured back over to the couch where his stuff was.

“Roamers are attracted to noise. Bows are quiet.” She picked up a glass of water and took a sip and watched over the top of the glass for Negan’s reaction.

He couldn’t deny that the idea of spending time with Ari sounded nice.

After breakfast, Ollo offered to clean up so that Ari and Negan could go out and work on archery. Ari went through the basics with him; feet shoulder width apart, stand up straight, don’t grip the bow too tight, and “relax your hand.” She came up behind him to help and Negan inhaled, taking in her scent. She smelled amazing.

“Put the arrow here, against the bow,’ Ari instructed. “Hold it between these two fingers.”

Negan couldn’t breathe. How was he so bewitched by a woman he had just met the day before. He turned his head to stare at her and was met with her emerald eyes.

“What?” Ari furrowed her brow at him.

Negan snickered and shook his head, trying to shake off his nerves.

“Nothing.”

Ari continued to explain how to draw the bow and aim. She showed him how to draw the string back and aim with his dominant eye. She directed him to point at a tree on the other side of the fence.

“Fire!” Ari called out, and Negan let the arrow go.

It flew through the air and found its target, digging into the bark.

“Holy fuck!” Negan shouted in amazement. He didn’t think he could do it, but Ari’s instructions were good. He turned away from looking at the tree to see Ari was giggling. She had come off almost cold, but was slowly starting to warm up to him. 

He could get used to the sound of her beautiful laugh.

“Keep practicing. You’ll only get better.” Ari said with a proud smile.

“Yes, ma’am,” Negan replied, grabbing for another arrow.

* * *

 

A month went by, and Negan was still living in the cabin with Ollo and Ari. The three of them created a routine of collecting supplies, hunting, and working together to stay alive. It had only been four weeks, but Negan learned fast that he was good at archery, and Ari was impressed. He had given up his gun in trade for one of Ollo’s old bows, and Ari taught him how to make arrows in the evenings.

And in four weeks, Ari had developed quite a crush on Negan. 

The two had grown very close, and she felt she could trust Negan. Ari would ask him to go hunting with her, and although Negan tended to act like a lovesick puppy, Ari treated him like an equal. She knew he had feelings for her too, but wasn’t sure if acting on those feelings was wise.

It was late into the evening when Ari invited Negan to come with her out to the lake to fish. He was sitting with his feet dangling over the side of the dock while Ari focused on the bobber floating out in the lake. She liked that Negan had learned not talk to her while she was busy because she couldn’t focus on more than one thing at a time. That’s how it always had been, and Negan didn’t seem to mind that about her.

She had reeled in a fish and was setting it into a large, white bucket filled with water when Negan cleared his throat to speak.

“Ari?” he asked, grabbing her attention. She turned to look at him and was surprised to see he had a serious expression.

“I like you.” He said it so matter-of-factly, and Ari smiled at his words.

“I know,” she responded, getting bait ready on the hook of her rod. The sun was starting to set, and it would be dark soon.

“So?” Negan asked, watching her prepare to cast out again.

“So what?” Ari asked, shaking her head, still with a smile on her face. She stopped herself from casting to look at Negan.

“Do you feel the same way?” Negan asked, watching her face closely. She pursed her lips in thought, and then grinned wide at him. Reaching out a hand to place on his back, Ari shoved him off the dock and into the lake.

The sudden shock of being pushed caused Negan to be taken off guard, and he swam to the surface half expecting to see Ari packing up her stuff to leave Instead, he was met with the sight of her laughing her ass off. She had doubled over and was banging her fist on the dock, cackling loudly. Negan swam to the dock and reached up, putting his large hand around her ankle, and pulled her off the dock. She let out a loud gasp right before she hit the water and then swam up to the surface. She continued to laugh as she floating before him. Negan couldn’t help but laugh too.

He swam towards her while Ari tried to splash him, but he ignored the action and reached out to touch her arm. She let him, and reached up to place her hands on his shoulder, still with a big, goofy grin on her face. Negan held her like that, floating in front of the dock and smiling down at her.

Then, Ari surprised herself and Negan when she pulled him down towards her and kissed him.

The world felt like it stopped spinning for both of them. Their mouths moved together in a delicate dance that started slow and then gained momentum. Negan slid his hand through her drenched blonde hair and Ari moaned against his mouth. They didn’t stop, feeling one another’s bodies underneath the water and kissing again and again. The sun set and the moon started to raise up into the sky, but still Ari kissed him.

Negan pulled her back towards the dock, knowing he needed more. At first Ari was hesitant, but she allowed Negan to help her back up onto the wooden platform. Once they were out of the water, the two immediately went back to kissing, while simultaneously taking off their clothes.

Ari was more than nervous—she was scared—more scared than she had been about the roamers, or the fact her dad had disappeared on her and Ollo. She loved the way Negan’s mouth felt on her skin, and she wanted to be with him, but she had never been with a man before.

And as if he could sense her hesitation, Negan hovered over her after pressing a deep kiss against her neck and searched her big, green eyes that were staring up at him. He reached over to take her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

“It’s okay, Ari,” he promised. 

She knew it was.

Negan would never hurt her.

He guided their entwined fingers down towards his crotch, and Ari was a bit started when her fingers brushed up against his erect member. She took a deep breath as Negan allowed her to touch him and feel him. Then Negan slipped his hand between her thighs and felt her too. He kissed her deeply as they fondled one another, and then her hand dropped away to grip at the wooden dock as her hips thrust upwards. 

Negan’s hand disappeared from between her legs, and he lined himself up at her entrance. When he pushed in for the very first time, Ari let out a little gasp and stared into Negan’s hazel eyes. It hurt briefly, but the pain was soon replaced with an intense pleasure Ari had never known before.

Negan watched as her face scrunched up and she made little “ohs” and “ahs”. As he moved in and out of her, her body pushed back and forth against the wood on the dock. He moved gently, not wanting to hurt her.

He would never hurt her.

She was tight, and Negan wondered if she had done this before. The idea of being her first caused him to pick up his movements. It had been so long since he had been with a woman, and he knew he wouldn’t last long, but wanted to make sure she got there first.

Ari almost seemed to be fighting the impending orgasm as she panted beneath him. She didn’t feel the coarse wood on her back or the soft kisses Negan placed along her face and neck. She felt so completely full, as if a pressure was building from deep inside her. It was unfamiliar, but she let herself chase it. A few moments later, Ari’s entire body squeezed, and she cried out as a warm feeling spread to every nerve ending across her body.

Negan knew he was going to come and quickly pulled out, releasing pearl colored streaks onto her thigh. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath as Negan used his shirt to clean her up. She felt dirty—almost guilty about what they had just done, and she wondered if this was what everyone experienced. She sat up and pulled on her shirt and underwear and then decided to lay back down on the dock.

Once he had his pants back on, Negan laid down next to her and stared up at the night sky. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t place what, and he knew better than to ask her. They laid together in silence, and Negan was about to suggest they head home when Ari spoke.

“I’ve never had sex before,” she said in a whisper, letting out a deep breath. “I never really liked men all that much.” She glanced over at Negan who was staring at her with a blank expression. “I bet that sounds bad, huh?”

“Nah, us men are jerks.” Negan grinned at her and Ari smiled back. Any trace of guilt evaporated at the sight of his handsome features gazing at her.

Ari stared up at the sky again and let out a sigh.

“I don’t like the daytime. You can’t see the stars. I always liked coming out to my dad’s cabin because I could come out here late at night and see them high up there, like some big, beautiful canvas.”

“I’ve felt that way since meeting you.” 

Ari furrowed her brow and turned to see Negan wasn’t looking up at the stars, but instead he was gazing at her face. “You’re like a work of art. I love daytime, because that’s when I get to see you.”

Ari felt her heart flutter and her eyes water a bit, but she turned her head away so Negan could not see how his words affected her. No one had ever told her she was beautiful. He had made her feel special, and she found herself falling for him.

“I’ll push you into the lake again,” she warned, reaching up to wipe away a tear.

Negan placed a hand on her arm and turned her over so she was facing him. He could tell she had been crying, and he wanted to comfort her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. She snuggled into him while they both stared up at the stars.

Ollo had become concerned when his sister hadn’t returned home after the sun set. He didn’t trust Negan, and was almost expecting him to turn on him and his sister. 

After waiting another hour, Ollo took it upon himself to go to the lake. When he got there, he watched as his sister kissed Negan. She curled up in his arms, and the two were laying on the dock together.

His sister was spending too much time with Negan.

Ollo liked it when it had just been the two of them—him and his sister surviving in the new, hellish world.

He headed back the house and tried to ignore the anger building.

All he saw was red.

* * *

 

Negan and Ari returned to the cabin an hour later to find Ollo had started a fire in the fire-pit that was in the front of the house. He was sitting in a lawn chair and staring at the flames as if he was lost in thought. Ari and Negan sat down with him, and Ari watched her brother. She knew her twin well, and something was off about him. No one spoke for a while, and then Ollo looked up from the flames and at Negan.

“You used to wear a wedding ring.” Ollo spoke plainly, but Ari could tell there was a hint of condescension in his voice.

“I was married before,” Negan explained, tilting his head a bit in confusion at what Ollo was suggesting. Sure, he had recently taken his ring off, but it was his way of moving on. He didn’t want to make Ari uncomfortable if something were to happen between them—something like what had happened at the dock. “But she’s gone now.” Negan added, turning away to look at the fire and fight the memories of Lucille’s frail corpse from his mind’s eye.

“You weren’t able to protect her?” Ollo challenged.

“Ollo!” Ari scrunched her face in disapproval at her brother, but Ollo ignored her and kept his eyes focused on Negan.

“It’s okay,” Negan assured her. “She died of cancer.”

Ollo didn’t seem to expect that answer and became quiet. Ari narrowed her eyes at her twin and wondered why he was acting this way. She looked into the dancing fire and sighed.

“Our mom left when we were really little. We haven’t seen her since. We always felt like she abandoned us.”

“Don’t talk about it,” Ollo growled, making Ari’s head shoot to the side to look at him.

“Why not, Ollo?” she asked, perplexed.

“It’s not Negan’s business to know about mom,” he said in a huff.

“Ollo, what the hell is your problem?!” Ari demanded to know. Her brother stood up from the chair and trudged towards the cabin, going inside. Ari got to her feet and went to follow her brother when Negan reached out and took her hand.

“I have to go to him,” she whispered.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Negan squeezed her hand.

Ari smiled at Negan and reached up to touch his face. He had stopped shaving, and she really liked how he looked. She could get used to the feeling of his soft stubble.

Heading into the cabin, Ari found Ollo was standing in the same place he had been a month before when she had found he had beaten her to the cabin. He was staring at the black screen of the television, and Ari carefully approached him.

“Ollo?” she asked, worried.

“Are you falling in love with him?” Her brother’s voice was so quiet, she almost didn’t hear him.

“Where is this coming from?” she demanded, reaching out to place her hand on his arm, but he shrugged her away.

“What do you see in him, Ari?!” he raised his voice a bit, and Ari furrowed her brow in surprise as he gestured towards the front of the house where Negan was still sitting outside by the fire.

“He’s a good person, Ollo.” Ari reached out again and grabbed her brother’s arm. “He’s our friend.”

Ollo didn’t want to hear it. He pushed past his sister and went upstairs to his room. Ari let out a heavy sigh, and then headed back to Negan.

* * *

 

It was late into the middle of the night, and Negan had been dreaming of swimming in a big pool. Next thing he knew, someone was shaking him and softly saying his name. He shot up and looked next to his bed where Ollo was leaning over him.

“Negan! Negan, wake up!”

Negan sat upright and stared at the blonde haired man confused.

“We have to hurry. Ari went out to go get eggs last night and she didn’t come back. She’s in trouble!” Negan had been sleeping in his clothes, and was startled as Ollo handed him his boots. He pulled Negan out of the room and down the stairs in a hurry. The two were out the door in matter of seconds, and Ollo handed Negan his knife.

“My jacket…” Negan grumbled as they headed into the woods. He had been using their father’s hunting jacket, and the cool night air was nipping at his skin.

“Take mine,” Ollo pulled his jacket from his arms and handed it to him. Negan pulled it on and continued on his way to the farm. He was a bit confused from being woke up in the middle of the night, but if Ari was in danger, he had to help her.

A few minutes later, the two approached the fence to the farm, and Negan’s eyes grew wide. There was a huge group of roamers, and all of them were surrounding the barn. Ollo pointed towards the red structure.

“She’s inside! What are we going to do?!” His voice cracked in concern, and Negan felt his heart start to pound. He had to figure out something.

“Stay here,” Negan ordered, hopping over the fence and getting his knife ready. He would fight a path to the front of the barn and help Ari escape.

As Negan approached the horde, Ollo turned away from the barn and headed back into the woods. Minutes later, he walked inside the cabin and headed up the steps. Opening the door to his sister’s room, he looked down at where she was sound asleep and gently shook her until she woke up.

“Ollo?” she asked groggily, rubbing at her eyes.

“Hey, sis. I didn’t mean to wake you, but we have a problem.”

Ari sat up immediately and waited for him to explain.

“I went to go get some eggs for breakfast and there’s a huge horde of roamers at the barn. Hundreds of the bastards. Someone led them there, and now they’re trying to break into the barn to get to the animals. I tried to stop him, but he got the best of me, and the asshole took my jacket. The roamers over there are going crazy. We can’t let him get to the animals. We need to do something.”

Ari nodded in understanding. She hated the idea of having to kill someone, but she knew survival meant having to do things she didn’t want to do. She sat up quickly and pulled on her boots. She grabbed her bow and quiver and headed out of the cabin with Ollo in tow.

When they reached the old farm, Ari was shocked to see the amount of roamers that were surrounding the barn. They were scratching at the walls, desperately trying to get to the animals locked inside.

“Where is he?” Ari asked, scanning the group and looking for her brother’s familiar brown jacket.

Ollo searched too, and then pointed towards the front of the barn.

“There!” he said, his finger aimed at a brown mass that was completely surrounded by walkers. They were quite far away from them, and Ari wasn’t sure she could make the shot. She could barely see the person her brother pointed out to her.

Ari drew her bow carefully, aiming the arrowhead at the brown mass. Feet shoulder width apart, standing up straight, her grip on the bow light and her hand relaxed, Ari let the arrow fly.

She watched pleased as the jacket disappeared and the man fell into the horde of roamers. The dead didn’t seem to notice him and continued to scratch at the barn doors. Ari let out a long yawn and turned to head back to the cabin when her eyes went to Ollo.

He was smiling.

She couldn’t read him, but the look on his face was almost…  _sinister._

“Ollo…” she asked slowly, fear lingering on lips. “Who did I just shoot?

Her brother didn’t answer her.

She looked back over to the roamers and felt her heart jump into her throat.

“Negan?” she whispered, turning back to look at her brother bewildered and horrified.

Ollo reached out and rubbed his sister’s arm in comfort.

“It’s for the best, Ari,” he said in a low voice. “Now it’s just us again.”

Ari stared up at him as tears rolled down her cheeks. She pulled away from her brother and sprinted over to the fence as Ollo called after her. He knew there was no way Negan could had survived that shot. His sister was too good. She never missed her mark.

Ari watched as more walkers began to approach the barn. She fell to the ground and sobbed, clutching at the dirt as she realized what she had just done.

She had killed Negan.

Looking up at the star-filled sky, Ari let out an open mouth, silent scream.

* * *

 

Negan had been so close to the front of the barn when the arrow hit him. He had killed at least two dozen walkers and was covered in roamer blood. As he laid on the ground with their bodies lurking around him, Negan knew he was going to die.

He also knew that it was Ari’s arrow sticking out of him.

He didn’t understand why the twins had turned on him, or why Ari would want him dead. He had loved her, and she had completely betrayed him.

But none of that mattered now. 

He was a goner.

He had closed his eyes and accepted his fate, passing out from the immense pain. He wasn’t sure how long he was unconscious, but the next thing he knew there was gunfire—lots of it.

The roamers started to fall all around him. He waited for the loud sound to cease and then tried to sit up. The splitting pain from where the arrow was lodged into his side seared, and he grunted in pain. He laid back down and decided he was going to accept sleep again when he heard a short laugh. 

Negan opened his eyes to find a man smiling down at him. Negan’s sight was clouded, but he thought maybe it looked like the man had a mustache.

“It’s your lucky day, buddy,” the man said, bending down next to where Negan was surrounded by walker bodies. “I’m Simon. Let’s get you patched up.”


End file.
